Change in expat attitudes?

[dr__dawggy]

I have been visiting Argentina for extended periods since 2001 with a view toward moving to BA when I retire this year.

Now I find out yall are leaving just as I plan to arrive. Ok...I have two choices...change my plans and that my lucky stars I did not move earlier...or get one of you to sell me your place

 

[sergio]

Arrogance for nothing I might add...the food here is crappy, the quality of pretty much everything is 3rd rate and the people are lazy, rude and deceitful. What's to like...1 in 100 people? No thanks.

This, to me, is a key problem. It's hard to understand how the natives of such a failed country can be so smug and arrogant. Brazilians are such a contrast - almost always friendly and good natured. Even the rich are far less stuck up.

 

[Desde2008]

I have chosen to make my life here but it's not easy. A year ago, I seriously didn't know if I would last here. And I have access to a support network and a job which make life much easier than the one the average expat faces.

I have been here for a few years and I would not be here now if it were not for my psychologist for the last 2 years. Adjusting to this culture has been a strain on me and my Argentine wife.

The things that have been discussed and argued about in this forum have been the same discussions that have been happening in our home. I would complain about the things that bothered me about the city and the culture and my wife felt obligated to defend or negate what I was experiencing. There have been times that we have considered ending the relationship for the sake of our own sanity.

My wife does not like a lot of the same things that I don´t like but she has become accustomed to these things as she has lived with them all her life. I on the other hand have lived a life far different than this. The challenge is finding the good things to out weigh the bad.

I hope that the good things always outweigh the bad things that are a part of this life.

But God it is hard to relax in this city anymore when you are just walking in the streets. Watch out for the buses, cars, people not watching where they are going, gangsters, thieves, scams, broken sidewalks, dog crap, demonstrations and it is not getting any better...

 

[Celia]

We're just in the downward part of the cycle, most expats probs arrived as things were improving and can't handle the slide. Things will get worse and then they'll get better again.

 

[notebook.fix]

Yesterday my first client told me about how they had lived here for 4 years, everything was doable until one afternoon the family finds two robbers with knives inside their apartment. They lost everything.
He can't sleep properly at night any more.

Now he's moved his family back & is making arrangements to sell everything & can't wait to leave.

My second clients drops in after him, she has an old laptop...I ask her about it she says it's a temp replacement computer after she was robbed by three female robbers in her shop.

I'm really starting to get sick of this. I keep hearing these stories...it feels like we are all lambs to the slaughter...just waiting for our turn t come.

I'm really angry about the uselessness of the people who run this country.
Then I read some posts by some locals here & the profound tone of arrogance & ignorance is staggering to witness.

I hope to hear some good stories soon.

 

[syngirl]

As Citygirl said, most expats only last a year or two. And I'm sure a lot of those leaving arrived in 2009/2010 with the belief that things were cheap. If their USD / Euro have dried up then they know it's not so cheap. So I'm sure a lot of those exiting are from about that time.

Very few of us survive the 5 year + haul. There's always a new wave replacing the last. And just before people leave they always get very bitter and start raging against Argentina -- and then six months after they've moved back to their home country they start waxing on romantically about how fantastic BA is... The rose-colored glasses seem to come back on, but very few actually make the move back here again.

 

[sergio]

I have been here for a few years and I would not be here now if it were not for my psychologist for the last 2 years. Adjusting to this culture has been a strain on me and my Argentine wife.

The things that have been discussed and argued about in this forum have been the same discussions that have been happening in our home. I would complain about the things that bothered me about the city and the culture and my wife felt obligated to defend or negate what I was experiencing. There have been times that we have considered ending the relationship for the sake of our own sanity.

My wife does not like a lot of the same things that I don´t like but she has become accustomed to these things as she has lived with them all her life. I on the other hand have lived a life far different than this. The challenge is finding the good things to out weigh the bad.

I hope that the good things always outweigh the bad things that are a part of this life.

But God it is hard to relax in this city anymore when you are just walking in the streets. Watch out for the buses, cars, people not watching where they are going, gangsters, thieves, scams, broken sidewalks, dog crap, demonstrations and it is not getting any better...

My close Argentine friends agree with me that the country is a mess and not getting better. They don't defend the indefensible. I have one friend, though, who is hardly talking to me. He thinks I should be "grateful" that Argentina gave me a visa and residence rights. I have pointed out that I brought a lot of money into the country and have given quite a few people work, pay taxes etc. IKt doesn't make any difference. This friend, like many Argentines, thinks foreigners should not have the right to express critical views, no matter how deeply they are committed/involved in the country.

 

[Johnny]

I've been here most of the past five years. Left three times for two months each time and always returned. Twice I had no intention of returning and did anyhow. It's easier to do when you're solo and can work from nearly anywhere. I think at times about leaving again, but where to ? I have friends here, have adapted to most of the negative things and am unsure as to which grass might be greener. Clearly some of Argentina's imperfections have been more noticeable recently, but I'm not convinced that a move elsewhere won't result in just as many imperfections, though maybe a different set of issues. My biggest gripe is the food. Honestly, most of the rest I tolerate pretty well. There are crooks in all countries, whether they be the Argentine scalawags or the suited, superficial gougers and nickel and dimers elsewhere.

 

[NikBaires]

I think the majority of the negative attitude stems for the large decrease in buying power. Many of us used to live like kings and queens....now have been reduced to actually watching a budget.

 

[jenh]

As Citygirl said, most expats only last a year or two. And I'm sure a lot of those leaving arrived in 2009/2010 with the belief that things were cheap. If their USD / Euro have dried up then they know it's not so cheap. So I'm sure a lot of those exiting are from about that time.

Many of us are here for work and not because we think it is "cheap." Although one of the major sources of headache I have had here has been reconciling what my company's relocation managers in the US and Europe had on paper for what cost of living "should" be (based on false inflation numbers and cost of living indices that are certainly not realistic) and what it is actually costing.

I moved here from San Francisco - where I enjoyed, for example, safe running outside, sailing 3 to 4 times a week, a commute to work that was equal distance-wise but took 1/5 the time, and very high quality food (not to mention many options for fresh and healthy eating), as well as cleaner air, a safe and quiet neighborhood, and reliable electricity.

Yes, California was much more expensive, but sometimes you get what you pay for. You just can't compare the quality of living/cost of living ratio here in Buenos Aires to what it is in other places. Even if you have tons of money here, you can't necessarily buy what you need or want. On top of that, I spend probably 8 to 10 hours a week on what I consider to be dumb administrative/logistics tasks that can be done in the US or in Europe online and take about 10 minutes.